DBQ Essay: The Industrial Revolution

Words: 537
Pages: 3

The Industrial Revolution was negative for America. It was negative for America because the factories were dangerous, the work could cause mental health issues, and the factories polluted surrounding areas.

First, the factories were dangerous. In document 13, a factory worker said, “There were about a dozen died during two years and a half that I was there.” when referring to deaths in his former factory while being interviewed by the Sadler Committee. One of the most gruesome deaths was: “, a boy was caught in a machine and had both his thigh bones broke and from his knee to hip the flesh was ripped up the same as it had been cut by a knife. His hand was bruised, his eyes were nearly torn out and his arms were broken.” He also talked about how he had physical health problems such as damaged lungs, and non functioning leg muscles. And these problems were caused by all the dust in the
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A big piece of evidence for this is in the Apostate. Where Johnny’s brain basically went insane. “Fever and delirium she could understand; but this was insanity.” (813) All the repetitive long work for years did something to his brain where he couldn’t even work anymore. Not enjoying his job also did something to his brain, "Now this week I ain't moved at all. I ain't made one move in hours an' hours. I tell you it was swell, jes' settin' there, hours an' hours, an' doin' nothin'. I ain't never ben happy before. I never had any time. I've ben movin' all the time. That ain't no way to be happy.” (814) Now, some may say that the workers did get treated fair at the factories, with evidence from document 3. “They seemed to be always cheerful and alert, taking pleasure in the light play of their muscles.” But you have to look at workers who weren’t treated like this, as we saw in William Cooper’s testimony on document 1, “At times we were frequently strapped.” So even though some workers were treated fine, many workers